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Chinese Red Lantern

Having 1800 years of history, Red lantern is an important festive symbol in China. During a long history, Red lantern has developed various styles.The most classic style is made by red paper and bamboo canes. When a festival comes or something good happened, Chinese people usually like to hang some red lanterns around their houses or along the streets. Because Chinese people think the red color and the light of red lantern can warm their hearts; what’s more, they believe that red lantern can bring them fortune. This tradition is still popular today. And the red lantern even become an important Chinese element in many artworks.

History

The origin of red lantern can day back to the Western Han Dynasty (around 206 B.C. to 24A.D.). At the very beginning, the red lantern was not made by paper (papermaking did not appeared until the Eastern Han Dynasty, around 25 A.D. to 220 A.D), but by a kind of rough cloth which was made from kudzu (葛) or by bronze. Since papermaking was invented, the most common type of red lanterns was made by paper. And as time went by, the handcraftsmen developed various kinds of lanterns, such as palace lantern, gauze lantern and so on. Moreover, handcraftsmen also like to colorized lanterns so that the lanterns can looks more beautiful and festive. And the most popular color was red, which means warmth and happiness. Because of its beautiful appearance and good meaning, red lantern became more and more popular among people. Especially in Tang Dynasty, the government even stipulated that January 15th was the Red Lantern Festival(元宵节); and on that day, there would be a special lantern show held along the street for people to have fun. This festival still exists today. Gradually, the red lantern is used more and more frequently in festival or happy events, and become a traditional festive symbol of Chinese culture. Beside for fun and celebrations, In old days, red lantern can not only be used as decoration, but also as lighting tool. Today, because electric light is popularized, people no long need lanterns for lighting; but red lantern still be used as a decoration in festivals.

Types, Appearances and Making

Red lanterns consist of many types, such as palace lantern, umbrella lantern, gauze lantern and so on.

036 Chinese Lantern (23460121736)

Palace lantern is the most luxurious type.Find wood is used to form the frame; red paper makes the skin of sides; and the tassels are used for decoration. It usually has six sides; each side is painted with beautiful patterns, such as dragon and phoenix; and each angle is decorated with tassels. Its shape can be octagonal, hexagonal and even diametric. Because of its gorgeous appearance, palace lantern is usually used in important traditional occasions, such as Chinese weddings.

Umbrella lantern is a special type in Fu Jian province, which looks like a reversed red paper umbrella. Its frame is made by bamboo, and its surface is made by red paper. It is also lighted by candle in its middle, too. What’s more, on the surface, people like to draw some lucky patterns to make it nice. Compared with other types, umbrella lantern occupies a bigger room; and this kind of lantern particularly represents Fu Jian's culture. So it is not very usually to be used in common occasions. But people still can see umbrella lantern in traditional lantern show in Fu Jian.

Red Chinese Lanterns at Night

Gauze lantern is not only the most common type, but also the most popular one. It has a round or oval shape, which is framed by bamboo; and its skin is gauze or red paper. What's more, to make the lantern looks festive, people usually write a "囍"(xi) on its surface. And the lamp-stand in the middle of lantern is to provide a place for lighting candles. Because the structure of gauze lantern is simple to make and its material is easy to get, this kind of lantern is the most popular one which is used in various common occasions.

Dragon Lantern Festival

In addition, there are also many other shape of red lantern, such as fish shape, flower shape and so on. what's more, the size of lantern is getting bigger and bigger. For example, in the lantern festival show in Hong Kong, some red lanterns with various shapes are even as big as a real house. Moreover, with the help of modern technology, Chinese red lantern can be made by plastic material and be lighted by electric light, which is safer than the traditional lantern.

Functions

In ancient China, red lantern is usually used as lighting tools at night, or as decoration in festivals to create a festive atmosphere. What's more, there was a rule that different classes should use the proper kinds of lanterns. The higher one's statue, the more gorgeous lantern he should use, which can show one's social position. Lower-class people should not use the lantern as gorgeous as upper-class people. For example, lower-class people were not allowed to hang palace lantern in their house because that was only allowed to be used for royal people. However, as time goes by, this kind of distinction gradually disappeared. Red Lantern can also be used for entertainment. For example, in Red Lantern Festival, people usually make beautiful red lantern by themselves, and take for a walk at night with it. And there is a game called "Lantern riddles" in the Festival as well. During the game, people can write some interesting riddles on the lantern and hang it outside their yards. When other people pass by, they can try to guess the answers. The answers may be a word, or a poem, or a phrase. Till now, this activity is still popular among people. What's more, people also hang red lantern for good luck and wishes. In Chinese culture, red represents warmth, happiness and booming life; and light represents hope and bright. So Chinese people usually hang some red lanterns in important occasions. They believe that red lantern can bring them good luck and comfort their hearts. And with such a good meaning, red lantern is also a good present for other as well.

Connotation

Red lantern is a important symbol of Chinese culture in Chinese people's mind.Because red is the most lucky, most warmth and most popular color in Chinese culture, which can bring people a lucky message and a sense of happiness and warmth; the round shape of the lantern can reflect a sense of reunion of family; and the light of the lantern brings people a feeling of bright and hope. As the result, containing so many good wishes, red lantern becomes the most common and popular symbol of happiness in Chinese people's daily life, and affects the Chinese traditional festival and some Chinese artworks. This strong effect even expends outside the motherland.

Effect

The Red Lantern Festival

Red Lantern Festival, which falls on January 15th, not only is the last day of Chinese Spring Festival, but also marks the returning of spring and reunion of family. At that day, many interesting activities will be held, such as appreciating the bright full moon, setting off fireworks, guessing riddles written on lanterns, eating tangyuan and so on. The main activity is Lighting and appreciating lanterns. During that night, thousands red lanterns will be hung from homes to storefronts for people to appreciate. In Hong Kong, a great lantern show will be held every year that some splendid lantern will be display along the street for people to enjoy. Those splendid lanterns are usually made by papers and bamboos; but in consider of security, most lanterns are lighted by LED lights, but not by candles. During the activity, people can not only enjoy the beauty of the lanterns, but also can feel the warmth and joy of the festival. When the light of the festival lanterns extinguished, that means the Spring Festival is over, and the spring return.

Raise the Red Lantern

File:Raise the Red Lantern DVD.jpg

Raise the Red Lantern is a famous Chinese movie directed by Zhang Yimou and starring Gong Li in 1991.It tells a tragic story of a young women, Song Lian, who became the fourth mistress of a rich man, Chen Zouqian, during the Warlord Era. In the story, Chen Zouqian set up a rule that only the concubine he love most had the right to hang a red lantern on the door of her room. On the contrary, the concubine he hated most would hang a black lantern. And of course, the concubine Chen Zouqian love most had the highest position in the famliy. So red lantern became a symbol of Chen's favour and the highest position in the family. In order to contending for Chen's favour and the highest position, his concubines strifed openly and secretly. In the end, some concubines were either dead or mad.So in this perspective, the positive meaning of red lantern creates a strong irony with the cruel reality for women at that time, and reveal the persecution toward women during the old society.